Black and White
by audibleINK
Summary: It's freezing cold in the harsh season of winter, and her life at home isn't any better. Meeting him changed everything for the both of them. OC
1. Chapter 1

Black and White

Chapter 1

I keep my face completely void of emotion as I walk calmly through the halls at school. Not many of my peers seem to notice me, and the ones that do just point and laugh with their friends.

I am like a cat, my ears pulled back against my head.

I close my eyes as I walk, trying but failing miserably to block out the sounds as well as the sights. Everyone laughing with their friends now that school is out for winter vacation...

I step out into the field to walk home, though home is the last place I want to be. The cold bites viciously at my face and fingers. I suddenly wish I had brought some gloves and maybe even a scarf.

The school uniforms do nothing for the girls, as it is just a flimsy, almost non-existent skirt and short sleeve shirt. The popular girls finally convinced the school board to "let" us wear shorter skirts.

But, of course, being "Emo", I like the long skirts that they had us wear before better. They had at least covered up my hideous legs, and made me feel at least a bit more comfortable in the hell hole called "high school".

"Hey, Emo!!" someone behind me yells. I know they are talking to me but refuse to turn and respond in any way.

A snowball hits me square in the back of the head. I shiver and shake my head to get the snow off.

"You have to learn to respect your superiors, Emo," the voice calls again, "Turn around and answer me!!"

I keep walking ignoring him once again. The snow on the field for the past few days had prevented us from having to do PE. The tree that I sit under during the summer when I don't want to be at home has no leaves. It's just dead.

Maybe I should hibernate during the winter... Bears can pull it off, why wouldn't I be able to?

My life is like a black and white movie- boring and colorless and bland. All I really want is some color, even if just a little bit. Just a little bit of flavor to this tasteless mix...

"Emo!!!" the voice calls again.

"Shut up, you baka!!" another voice yells at the first one.

To this, I turn, wondering who in their right mind would stand up for me.

"Who do you think you are?" yells the first boy that had pegged my head with a snowball.

"Uchiha Sasuke," the raven haired boy replies, "And who're you?"

"Umino Tenshi," he smirks cockily, "What're you doing here?"

"Getting ready to kick your ass into next year if you don't stop harassing that girl."

"I doubt you have the guts."

"Wanna bet?"

They both smirk at each other, eager for a fight.

"Go home, I'll finish this guy up," says the Uchiha.

I just stay and look at them.

"This should be far more amusing than anything happening at home," I reply, "Please do carry on."

He smiles at me, then turns back to Umino...

After the fight, Umino runs away faster than I thought possible, all to get away from the spiky haired Uchiha.

"You alright?" he asks, walking over to me. By this point, I'm shaking so bad that I'm practically jumping.

Goosebumps:Me::Grass:Ground

And the Uchiha notices. "Why don't you come over to my place so we can get you warmed up?" he asks.

My teeth only chatter in reply, and he smiles, taking it as a yes.

"Take my jacket for a while," he says taking off his heavy coat and draping it over my trembling shoulders as we walk.

"Are you sure?" I stutter, eyeing his short sleeve shirt.

"I'll be fine," he assures me, smiling as we cross the street.

"I'm home," Uchiha calls as we step into his house, then lowers his voice as he turns to me, "Do you need to call your parents so they know where you are?"

My fists clench at the word "parents", and I find enough energy to shake my head.

"They don't need to know where I am at every moment of every day," I say, shedding the heavy coat and giving it back to the Uchiha.

I walk over and sit on the couch, damning the school uniforms to hell under my breath. Even Uchiha's coat was longer than the skirt...

Then, I remember that I have a change of clothes in my bookbag.

"Where's the restroom?" I ask, "I need to get out of this prison- I mean... uniform..."

I look down, embarrassed that I had called this thing a prison to another person. Surely he would start calling me a freak soon...

Uchiha smiles at me, then points down a hall.

"First door on your right," he says.

I nod then walk down the hall and into the bathroom to change. I walk out, feeling more comfortable in my skinny jeans and black shirt.

"Kai," Uchiha calls, "Come here..."

I comply obediently. Uchiha gives me a cup of tea, sipping half-heartedly at a mug in his hands.

The steam swirls above the tea gracefully, as I watch, amused. The tea at my house never has warmth radiating off of it like this...

I start to let my mind wander to the two monsters that people call my parents, then shake my head and take a sip of tea.

The fact that the steaming liquid burned my tongue on contact tore me away from my thoughts.

"Are you alright?" Uchiha asks, concern creasing his brow.

I nod, staring down into my tea.

"Why did you stand up for me?" I ask, looking up at him as he puts a silver stud into his ear.

"Because I hate the way people treat you at school," he replies. This shocks me, as I have never seen him at school before. I take another cautious sip of tea.

"Maybe you shouldn't butt into other people's business," I say.

"Maybe," he replies, "But I hate how the populars think they're better than people like us."

It angers me to no end when he whimsically gets the notion that he and I are on the same page.

"You make it sound like we're going through something together," I comment.

"In a way, we are," he replies stonily.

I shrug my shoulder, then finish my tea up.

"Thank you for letting me stay here," I gratify, "I'll see you later."

"Let me walk you home," Uchiha insists, opening the front door for me, then following me out.

"Thank you again."

"It's my pleasure," he assures me, looking deep into my eyes.

As if on queue, my father's voice booms loudly from an open window as we step onto the front porch.

"Where is that damn girl Kai?!!" he bellows, causing me to shudder and Uchiha to jump, "What the hell could she be doing?!"

I look down at my torn up Converse, not wanting to knock on the door as Uchiha looks at me worriedly.

"She's probably off fucking some guy from her school," my mother's voice laughs as cruel as ever.

I'm surprised my nails haven't penetrated the skin on my palms yet, though my knuckles are as white and colorless as they usually get when I hear my parents' voices.

Uchiha wraps an arm around my shoulders and starts walking back to his house.

And I'm suddenly grateful that I have him as a friend.

When we get back to his house, I start to wonder where his parents are.

"Don't worry," he says, "I don't get along with my parents either."

"Why not?" I ask.

"Sasuke!!!!" a voice yells from upstairs. Uchiha jumps, then growls lowly.

"What?!" he snaps venomously in response.

"Don't use that tone with me!! Who're you talking to down here?"

A man walks down the stairs with a woman close behind him- Uchiha's parents.

"I'm Kai," I say quietly.

"I'm sure you are," he sneers.

"Don't look at her like that," Uchiha orders, glaring daggers into his father. I know what he's talking about. His father looks down at me, like I'm inferior.

"Don't use that tone with me!!"

Uchiha grabs my hand and pulls me out the door, slamming it behind us.

"You don't mind staying with my brother, do you?" he asks as he pulls me at a brisk pace into the woods.

"No," I reply, "Are you two close?"

"We fight a lot," he says, "Don't be surprised if we start throwing punches."

He laughs, seeing the scared look in my eyes.

"But we're really close," he smiles reassuringly. I try to smile back, but my mouth only twitches.

When we get to his brother's house, all I see is a large house in the middle of the woods- no roads or walkways, just a house.

It looks so out of place.

"Itachi!!" Uchiha calls after knocking noisily on the door.

What looks like an older version of Uchiha opens the door. Only this guy has long hair and lines under his eyes.

"What is it, Sasuke?" he asks.

"Me and Kai wanna stay over here for a while," he replies sternly.

"Kai, huh?" Itachi says, "Are you his girlfriend?"

I shake my head violently, blushing like mad.

"Alright, kiddies," Itachi smirks, "Sasuke, you can sleep on the couch while Kai gets the guest room... Because I enjoy sleep."

"Oh shut it, Itachi," Uchiha snaps, guiding me inside.

The house is large, and one might say it's slightly cluttered, but compared to my filthy house, it's immaculate.

"The guest room is upstairs," Itachi says, indicating for me to follow him up a series of steps.

The guest room consists of a bed, a desk, and a dresser. "The Bathroom's right down the hall on your left," he says, motioning down the hall, then walking back down the stairs.

"Hey, Itachi," Uchiha calls from the kitchen, sticking his head over the open fridge door, "Do you have anything at all to eat over here?"

"No," Itachi replies, "You'll have to go out to eat somewhere if you want food."

"Alright, fine," Uchiha sighs, closing the fridge, "Hey, Kai, come on. Let's get you some food then."

"I'm not hungry," I say, though my stomach growls loudly just at the thought of having something to eat.

"I highly doubt that."

I follow Uchiha out the door, and Itachi puts on some Vans and follows us as well.

"What're you doing?" Uchiha asks his brother.

"I'm hungry too," he shrugs, continuing to follow us.

"Where do you wanna eat, Kai?" Uchiha asks.

"I'm not sure," I reply quietly, "Anywhere really. I don't want you to spend too much money on me, though..."

"No problem," Itachi replies, "I don't have enough money to buy much of anything, even if I wanted to."

"I can pay for myself."

"No, it's fine. I didn't mean to make you feel bad. Keep your head up. Stop looking down as if you're ashamed of something. If you keep your head so low, we won't be able to see your face."

"That's the idea," I mutter.

"It's not right," Uchiha says, lifting my chin up and looking deep into my eyes, "keep your head up."

"Alright, Uchiha," I sigh, "Whatever you say."

"Call me Sasuke," he states.

"Alright, fine. Sasuke."

"That's better," he smiles.

After going to Subway, the Uchiha brothers and I walk back to Itachi's house. Itachi and I start talking.

"So, Kai," he asks, "Are you in any classes with my little brother?"

"I'm not sure," I admit, "I don't pay attention to any of the other kids in my classes..."

"We have English together," Sasuke states, "We sit next to each other."

Itachi chortles and I just say a simple, "Oh."

"So, you're a junior..." Itachi says, "I remember those days... It really wasn't long ago. I'm only 18, you know."

"Really?" I reply, "Already owning your own house and everything... Wow... I wish I could be like you."

"It's really not that great," he smiles warmly at me, "I have to pay the bills and all... I built my house, though, which is why it's out in the middle of the woods..."

"Do you have a car?" I ask.

"No," he replies, "I walk every where I go."

"Well, that makes sense. One wouldn't expect someone who makes a home for themselves out in the woods to pollute the air any more by driving a car..."

He nods knowingly.

"It's quite a walk..." I sigh, "Where do you work?"

"Movie theater," he replies, "It doesn't pay much, but..."

He shrugs.

"I get by alright."

I nod.

Back at the house, light floods the room when Itachi flicks the light switch to "On".

"Hey, I'm going to bed," he announces to me and Sasuke as we plop ourselves down on the couch.

"Alright," we reply, "Good night."

Itachi's heavy footsteps sound noisily as he walks up the stairs and into his room which is right across the room from mine.

"Sooo..." Sasuke says, "What do you want to do now? I mean, it's not that late..."

"I don't know," I reply, sighing.

"How could you not have known that we sit right next to each other in English?" he asks, "I mean, there's barely three feet of space between us during class."

"I don't pay attention to the world during school," I shrug unenthusiastically.

"Because of the populars?"

"Because of the populars."

"Alright, I understand then."

"Good."

We sit in silence for a while as I half wish I could snuggle against him. For warmth!! For warmth, and only warmth!! Nothing more. It's cold. That's all. End of story...

And yet, I still find myself stealing glances at him, examining his facial features. Not once do I dare let my eyes wander over the rest of his body... Until, that is, I memorize every characteristic of his face...

He looks a bit scrawny, as if he couldn't fight someone to save his life, but his knuckles tell a different story. They're huge and have scars and scabs on them. No doubt about it that one hit and I'd be out cold...

Through his skinny jeans, I can see his thin yet muscular legs...

"Kai," he says, his voice a little too close to my ear to be natural.

I jump a little, then turn to face him. He's too close for comfort. I start breathing a little too heavily. He doesn't seem to notice. My heart beats frantically as though the harder it beats the further away from him I'd get.

But he only gets closer. My eyes only get wider. "S-Sasuke...?" I try to say, but end up whispering.

"Why haven't you noticed me?" he asks again, pushing to hard for my liking.

"Sasuke..." I mutter, "It's getting late... I'm tired..."

I try to lie to him to make him get out of my face. And I realize that I still have his brother to worry about...

I let out an exasperated groan, letting my eyelids drop.

"What?" Sasuke asks.

"You're really pushing it, Uchiha," I say, opening only one of my eyes to look at him.

"I'm just trying to make conversation," he shrugs.

A few minutes later, we're still sitting on the couch, being weighed down by a heavy silence. I look up at the ceiling, wondering which was heavier, a moose or that silence pressing down mercilessly on my shoulders...

"Are you tired?" Sasuke asks. I nod in response, my eyes never leaving the ceiling. I search for shapes and pictures in the texture of the ceiling, grateful for a ceiling other than my own to stare at, having already memorized where all the pictures and shapes in it were.

"Here, I can walk you up to the guest room or whatever..." Sasuke continues.

I shake my head again, not really paying any attention to what he's saying.

"...You alive in there?" his voice says beside me hazily as I see his pale, scarred hand wave back and forth in my fading field of vision.

I shake my head again.

"Need I _carry_ you up there?"

My eyelids grow heavy, and everything fades to black.

[Sasuke smiles to himself as Kai's head droops, and she slumps over, leaning unconsciously against his shoulder.

"Oh Kai..." he sighs.

"Is she asleep?" asks his older brother from the stairs. He looks up and nods.

"Out like a light," he replies.

"You like her, don't you?"

"What makes you say that?" he asks icily, glaring frozen daggers into the older Uchiha boy.

"You never even let Mom lean on your shoulder when she fell asleep... Back before the... incident..."

He looks down at Kai, shadows obscuring his eyes as they fight fiercely to keep the tears away. He's not ready yet...

Not ready to admit that it really happened.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Sorry about the out of character-ness with Itachi, and for not being true to Itachi and Sasuke's relationship with each other, but, oh well. They DO live in our world in this story, so there will be no killing of families and destroying of homes, alright? Fantastic. Now that we have that sorted out, on with the story...

Black and White

Chapter 2

I wake up the next morning with a yawn and wipe tiredly at my eyes. The room I'm in is unfamiliar, yet I've seen it before.

I stand up, loose my balance, then stand up again. This time, I remain standing and proceed to walk down into the living room to wake Sasuke up.

"Hey, Uchiha," I say softly as I shake his shoulder, sitting next to him on the couch, "Wake up, I'm bored..."

He remains sleeping, face smashed into his pillow, looking like he hasn't slept in months.

I sigh, calling it quits, and decide to try Itachi...

I walk up the stairs and knock lightly on his door.

He, unlike his brother, is awake and answers the door less than a second after I knock.

"Morning, Kai," he says, "You hungry?"

"Not really," I lie, not wanting to trouble him with having to go out to get food for my sake.

"Are you sure?" he asks, "I was just heading out for some Mickey D's anyway."

"No thanks..." I reply, "I'm not big into fast food... I prefer healthier foods..."

"Ahh... Well... Over here, I usually just get some pizza or something, so..."

"It's alright," I shrug, "I'll be able to buy myself some stuff sometime today or something..."

"Is Sasuke up?"

I shake my head.

He sighs and pushes past me, walking swiftly down the stairs.

"Sasuke!!!" he yells, jumping onto the couch... that Sasuke WAS asleep on.

"DAMN IT, ITACHI, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!!" he yells, infuriated, "I WAS FRIKING TIRED, YOU COULDN'T'VE JUST LET ME SLEEP, COULD YOU?!!"

"Nope," his brother replies with a smile.

Sasuke throws a punch at his brother's head, narrowly missing it, causing me to gasp a little.

I press myself against a wall, not wanting to take any part in the fight roaring on in front of me. Neither of them seem ready to give up yet.

"You dumb ass!!!" Sasuke yells, punching his brother in the stomach, "I was SLEEPING!!!!!"

"Yeah?!" Itachi yells back, getting Sasuke in a headlock, "Well KAI was BORED!!!!!"

So, as they continue to yell at each other and beat each other to a pulp, I refuse to move. Geeze, Uchiha really meant it when he said they fight a lot...

"Alright, you know what, Itachi?!!" Uchiha yells, pulling out of the headlock he was in, "Wake me up like that again, and I will kill you!!"

"Whatever you say, little brother," Itachi smiles, standing up, fixing his hair, and straightening out his shirt.

Sasuke growls and irons out his shirt with his hands.

"You alright, Kai?" Itachi smiles at me.

I nod once, still staring at them with wide eyes.

"Alright, then, Sasuke can take you out for some breakfast, while I go to school."

"It's winter vacation," I state timorously.

He chuckles and pats my head, saying, "Not if you go to my college."

I grumble a little to let him know that I heard him, then he nudges me toward Sasuke.

"Come on, Kai," Uchiha says, "Let's go get something to eat because _someone_ doesn't have anything _edible_ in their house."

He shoots a look at Itachi, who just glares back as if saying, "Do you want me to let you stay here or not?"

Sasuke takes my hand and escorts me out of the house, walking toward the city for some food.

"What do you want to eat?" he asks as we get closer.

"I'm not sure," I lie, "Um..."

I fidget a little with the zipper on my hoodie, not wanting to tell the Uchiha what I want to eat.

"Oh, come on," Uchiha urges, "I know you're lying."

"Huh?"

"I'm good at reading people's emotions," he replies, pointing to his eyes, "I have good eyesight, unlike my brother."

I nod once, then respond, "I want some... um... some fruit."

"'Fruit'?" he repeats, looking down at me, "You like fruit?"

"Yeah," I nod, half expecting him to burst out laughing and call me a freak like any one else that goes to our school would've.

"Alright," he smiles, "It should be a good break from those Cup Noodle things... My parents always go out to eat and never take me with them, so I'm stuck making my own food... And I usually just make some ramen or something."

"I like ramen."

"Yeah... You know that one blonde kid that sits front and center in English?"

I shake my head. He sighs.

"I forgot..." he says, a hint of a smile playing about his lips, "You don't pay attention to the kids at our school... Well, anyway, there's an annoying blonde guy that sits front and center in English that's obsessed with ramen... It's all he ever eats. And he insists on wearing orange all the time..."

"What about the stupid school uniforms?"

It's only just now that I realize that he wasn't wearing a uniform when I first met him.

"Well, we're allowed to choose our own shoes, and wear accessories, you know? So he wears everything that he can orange..."

"Why weren't you wearing the uniform when I first met you?" I ask.

"I don't wear the uniforms."

"Why not?"

"Because I hate them."

"So... you just don't wear them?"

"Nope," he smiles, "That's the only reason my grades are so low- I refuse to wear the uniforms. And I have my ear pierced..."

"I noticed that..."

"Yeah..."

We walk into a grocery store, then continue talking.

"I've always wanted to get my ears pierced," I say, winding my way toward the fresh produce aisle.

"Why haven't you?" he asks, following me.

"My parents can't afford it..." I mutter, looking down at my shoes as I walk.

"That sucks," Sasuke replies, "Well, I could pay for you."

"No, please don't!!" I gasp, looking up at him, "I don't like letting other people pay for me when it comes to stuff like that..."

"Well, can I at least buy whatever you want here?" he sighs, waving his hand to indicate the grocery store, "Itachi would eat my soul if he found out that I made you buy your food..."

"Alright," I smile, "Your brother's nice."

"Pfft."

I raise an eyebrow and shrug as if to say, "It seems that way."

When we walk out of the store, Sasuke grabs my hand and pulls me along with him to somewhere that I don't know.

Down the street...

Into a mall...?

"What're we doing here?" I ask quietly, looking around.

"You're getting your ears pierced," he says, smiling.

"No!! I can't let you pay for-"

"Yes, you can," he interrupts, "And you will. This is a gift to you; you're not rude enough to not accept it... are you?"

"You make me sound like a bad person when you put it that way..." I mumble.

"That's the idea."

I grumble, blowing a strand of hair out of my face as he drags me into a _Claire's_.

"Alright, she needs her ears pierced," Sasuke said to the lady there.

"Umm... I'm going to need a signature form the parent or guardi-"

"Right here," says a voice from the door.

The Uchiha and I look over to see Itachi standing in the doorway.

"Hey, how'd you get there so fast?" I ask, really meaning to say "I thought you were in school" but not wanting to give the ear-pierce lady the hint that he really isn't my "parent or guardian".

"Mad ninja skills," he smirks, then turns and smiles at the lady, "She's my adopted daughter."

Uchiha's eye twitches, and my eyes grow wide.

"Alright, fine," the lady sighs, "Come have a seat right here."

Sasuke nudges me toward her, and I sit down on the stool the she indicates.

After Itachi pays, we leave, and I grumble.

"You guys didn't really have to do that," I said, "I feel bad for making you pay for all this stuff for me..."

"Don't feel bad," Itachi smiles, "It's our pleasure."

"Yeah, but you just paid someone to jab little holes into my ears."

"Yeah, and the 'little holes' are awesome, now cheer up, would you?"

"Sorry, sorry!!"

When we get home and put most of the food into the fridge, I cut an apple and put it in one of the bowls that I find in Itachi's cabinets.

"Hey, Sasuke," I call, "Do you want some apples?"

"I want some!!" Itachi yells from the living room, jumping up and walking quickly into the kitchen where I am to get some.

"Why weren't you in school?" I ask as he grabs a piece and pops it into his mouth.

"It was cancelled today," he replies, "My teacher's really superstitious and one of my classmates told him that it was a lifetime of bad luck if you taught while it was raining or something... And the news says 70 chance of rain today, so..."

"Nice!!" I laugh. He chuckles.

"In fact, he's coming over tonight to help me with my math because I suck at it and my math teacher is evil... I hope you don't mind."

"No problem," I smile, "What kind of math is it?"

"Some algebra shit or something... I don't know, all I know is that I suck at it and I'm gonna fail if Deidara doesn't help me..."

"I don't like math, but I'm good at it."

"Deidara hates math," Itachi says, nodding, "But he has the highest grades in our class... Which is weird."

"It is."

At this moment, a loud whistle slices neatly through the air. I make my way over to the stove where I was boiling some water for tea.

"Would you like some?" I ask Itachi, "It's chamomile."

"No thanks," he shakes his head, "I'm more of a coffee kind of person."

I nod as I pour the water into a mug and put in one of the tea bags that Sasuke bought for me.

Sasuke walks into the room and reaches for an apple.

"Mine," Itachi hisses, slapping his hand away.

Uchiha gives his older brother a major "what the fuck" face and grabs an apple, popping it into his mouth.

"Holy shit, these are good!!" he exclaims.

"Yeah, they are, aren't they?" I reply, smiling, "They're really sweet..."

"Some of you must have rubbed off on them," Itachi grins, eating another, "Right, Sasuke?"

"Hn," Sasuke grunts in reply.

I giggle a little.

"And now you're laughing?!" Itachi gasps, "Yesterday you wouldn't even smile!!"

"Well, you guys have helped me open up a bit more already..." I mumble, looking down at my shoes.

"Stop looking down!!"

"Sorry."

After we finish eating the apple, I go back up the guest room and sit on the bed, my backpack on my lap.

I almost feel guilty that there's five different outfits in it, though I know I should feel glad. I've been planning to run away for some time now, but not once have I actually gotten around to it.

Am I scared?

I shake my head to keep the thoughts back and take out my journal, opening it up to the next blank page.

_December 17_

_Me again. It's been a few days. I've been feeling more alone than ever lately. Yet, here I am at __Uchiha's__ Sasuke's brother's house, feeling, dare I say, accepted...? It makes me feel weird to not be looked down at. I'm content here at Itachi's house, but I can't help but think about what may be waiting for me. Is it a fortunate turn of events, or the lull before a storm? So, here I sit, unable to do anything but wait... Wait and see..._

I close my journal, careful not to look at it as I do, just in case I catch a glimpse of any of the other pages that I've... written on.

"Kai?" says a voice softly on the other side of the door with a soft knock.

"Um!! Yes?" I gasp, cramming my journal under my pillow.

"Are you alright?" Sasuke asks, opening the door.

"I'm fine."

"Oh... I'm bored," he sighs, sinking down into the chair next to the desk.

"Me too," I sigh as well.

"What do you want to-"

"ITAAAACCCHHHIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" comes a voice from downstairs along with 50 loud bangs on the door.

"Oh crap," Sasuke whines, "Not him..."

"Who is it?" I ask.

"Deidara..."

"Hi, Deidara," Itachi says downstairs, opening the door.

"Hi, un!!" he replies, too chipper for my taste.

"Kai!!" Itachi yells, "Come here, I want you to meet someone!!!"

"Nice knowing you," Sasuke says, "Knowing Deidara, he'll squeeze you so hard you _explode_."

I walk cautiously down the stairs, dreading meeting Deidara already.

"Deidara, this is Kai."

"Hi," I mumble, looking down at my sh-

"SHE'S SO CUTE, UN!!!!!!!!"

squish

And I suddenly can't breathe. Or move.

I gasp for air.

"Alright, Deidara, don't kill her!!" Itachi yells, "Seriously, let go!!"

Deidara lets me go... then hugs me again. Only this time, it's not as tight.

"You're Kai, un?" he asks, letting me go.

I nod carefully.

"You're cute, yeah!!" he smiles.

"Umm... thanks...?"

"Do you like art, un?"

"Yeah, do you?"

"Art is a bang, un!!!"

"O-kay then..."

"Alright, Kai," Itachi smiles, "I know you were just upstairs talking to Sasuke, so I'll let you get back to that."

"Thank you," I say a little too happily as I turn and dart up the stairs and away from Deidara.

Sasuke, upstairs in the guest room, waits for Kai to come back. He sighs and lies down on the bed, resting his head on the pillow, and sliding his hand under it as usual.

But this time, he feels something. He grasps the book tightly and pulls it out from under the pillow, reading the words on the front: _Black and White_

It's scribbled, barely legible. The book is grey, and the word "black" is written on a white piece of paper glued to the front while the word "white" is written in white on a black piece of paper glued next to it. The word "and" is written in dark grey, barely visible against the grey background.

The Uchiha, being a bit curious as to what the book is, opens it to a page in the middle and gasps, quickly closing it again and sliding it back under the pillow.

Luckily, Kai came in once the shock wore down a bit...

"Hey, Uchiha," I say, sitting down next to him, "You're right, Deidara is scary."

The raven haired boy nods in agreement, smiling warmly at her, struggling to keep a lid on all the questions swimming around in his head.

"Are you alright?" I ask, "You don't look like you feel well. You're even more pale than usual..."

"I'm alright," he replies, adding at the end, a silent, _"But are you?"_


	3. Chapter 3

Black and White

Chapter 3

"Hey, Itachi?" I say, walking up to him as he sits at the small island in the kitchen. The scent of coffee is thick in the air, especially around the coffee maker on the counter near the sink as it works harder than it should at 6 in the morning...

"Yes?" he asks, setting his book down face down on the table to keep his place.

"Is it alright if I go out for a quick walk?"

"It's fine," he chuckles, "Why would you even have to ask?"

I look down, the real reason dancing through my mind as if taunting me to put it into words.

"No reason," I reply, then walk swiftly out of the kitchen and clear out of the house for some fresh air.

"_Kai, you stupid girl!!!" my father's voice boomed loudly even over the loud roar of the washing machine._

"_Wh-What did I do?" I asked fearfully._

"_I never gave you permission to leave the house, dammit!!! So disrespectful!!!"_

"_My my," my mother had cackled, "You sure are a rude little bitch, aren't you? If it weren't for your father and me, you wouldn't even be alive!!! It's time you start giving us the respect we deserve!!"_

I shake my head violently, nearly loosing my balance and running into one of the trees as I do.

"Woah, watch your step there," says a voice to my left.

I turn quickly, nearly falling again.

There stood a boy with spiky black hair, wearing black cargo pants and a black short sleeve shirt over a long sleeved white shirt.

"Right," I mutter, walking past him with my head down, embarrassed.

"Why are you so far out in the woods?" he asks, following me, "I mean, I've never seen anyone out here besides my cousin, Itachi, and occasionally, Sasuke..."

"Y-You know the Uchihas?" I ask, looking up at him.

He chuckles at my stupidity. I don't blame him.

"I AM an Uchiha," he says, "Uchiha Obito, at your service."

"Hmm..." I grumble, "They never mentioned anything about having any other siblings besides each other... or any of their family members, really..."

"Well, they aren't exactly... close to the rest of the family. They're the two who rarely ever make it to family gatherings and stuff, you know?"

"I know all too well," I reply, "I'm that kind of person myself."

He gives a small grumble in reply, then we walk in silence for a while, the cold, brisk morning air stinging my face like small needles penetrating my skin. I'm tempted to lift my hand up and run a finger across my cheek to check for blood...

But that's just because I'm me.

"Not to seem rude," I utter, "But why are you following me? Weren't you on your way to Itachi's house?"

"Nahh," he says, waving his hand in front of his face, "You're much more interesting than those two... Sasuke's over there at the moment, I assume. I wouldn't think of you to be Itachi's friend, but rather, Sasuke's..."

"That's a pretty accurate estimate," I respond quietly, "We have English together... We sit next to each other."

"Oh," is his response.

"Are you two together?" he smirks.

"No!!" I respond, shaking my head, "No way!!"

"But you wish you two were, don't you?"

"Wh-What makes you say that?"

"The fact that you're getting so defensive."

"I don't... hope for stuff like that," I mumble.

"And why not?"

"I don't... deserve stuff like that. I might as well not tease myself with fantasies like that."

"Sometimes fantasies can become reality," he smiles warmly at me, "if you work hard enough."

"I've never been very industrious..."

"What's with all the big words?" he pouts like a child.

I shrug.

"So, how have Sasuke and Itachi been doing?" he asks me after a couple more minutes of silence that brought us closer to the city.

"They've been... alright I guess. I haven't known them for very long, so I'm not really sure how they usually act."

"Well, Sasuke's usually cold and closed off to the world..." Obito states, looking up as he touches each of the fingers on his right hand with his left pointer finger every time he lists something else about Uchiha, "He doesn't like talking to people... When he and Itachi fight, it's usually him that initiates it..."

"Well, that's basically how he's been acting over the past couple days that I've been living with him and his brother... How does Itachi usually act?"

For some strange reason, all of this talk about how the Uchiha brothers usually are interests me...

"Well, he smiles a lot, but when he doesn't think anyone's looking, there's a really faraway look in his eyes; like he's deep in thought or something, you know?"

"I haven't seen that look... But then again, I don't usually like looking into people's eyes. It makes me feel uncomfortable..."

"I know the feeling. I used to be like that too, but I've changed a bit. Well, did Itachi call you and Sasuke 'kiddies' when you first met him?"

"How did you know?" I ask.

He throws his head back and laughs.

"He's always wanted to call Sasuke that. He enjoys annoying his little brother..."

"I've noticed."

"Hnn."

We continue walking and walking until we finally reach the city.

I turn promptly on my heel and start walking back to Itachi's house.

"That was quick," Obito says.

"Well, I didn't mean to be out for long. Just long enough to catch some fresh... unprocessed air."

My fingers fly up to my mouth. Did I really just say "unprocessed" while describing air... _to another person?_

I brace myself for impact, knowing that soon enough he'd make fun of me just like the other kids at my school.

"How old are you?" I ask him, through almost gritted teeth.

"26," he smiles, "And that makes me 10 years older than you, no?"

"That would be correct."

"Alright, well... Wait a minute, where are we?"

"Um... forest? Somewhere? I don't know..."

"That tree looks too familiar," he says, pointing to a tree, "Did we pass it already?"

"...Nooo...?"

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Are you sure you know where we're going?"

"Sure."

"Alrighty then..."

We keep walking, me sending strange glances over at the Uchiha, him smiling forward cluelessly.

This Uchiha was different from the others. Too... unobservant to be like Itachi, too happy to be Sasuke... Too free-spirited to be Uchiha's parents...

I sigh and shake my head. How could someone be so out of it...?

When we finally get back to Itachi's house, I knock on the door quietly.

"Oh please," Obito snorts, "You won't catch Itachi's attention with that."

He pounds on the door loudly and yells, "Itachiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"I'm not buying anyth-!!!!! Oh hi, Obito, Kai. How was your walk?"

"...Interesting, thank you."

"Hi, Itachi," Obito smiles.

"Come on in," he says, "You look cold."

"Psh," comes Uchiha's voice from behind him, "Like you can actually see them with your terrible eyesight..."

"Oh shut up!!" Itachi yells, throwing the pillow that was in his hand at him.

He catches it and throws it back, and soon enough, Obito and I are watching them fight again.

"You retard!!!" Uchiha yells, "You just HAD to throw the stupid pillow at me, didn't you?!!!"

"Yes, I did!!!" his older brother yells back.

"Alright, kiddies, time to stop messing around..." Obito says, patting Sasuke's head.

"My word," Itachi growls.

Obito sticks his tongue out at his younger cousin.

And I start to question his sanity.

Obito sleeps over that night on the couch, which forces Sasuke to either sleep in the guest room (if I don't mind), in Itachi's room (if he doesn't mind), on the floor (which would probably be the best choice), or in the bath tub (which just sounds suicidal to me).

"You... could sleep in the guest room," I say, struggling to keep my cheeks from flaming up at the sight of Obito smirking like crazy.

I give him a look that clearly stated, "Shut up or I'll hurt you," but he, being the weird insane Uchiha that he is, just didn't get the message.

"Are you sure you're alright with that?" Sasuke asks, looking me straight in the eye.

"Positive," I reply after hesitating a bit.

"Alrighty then..."

Back in the guest room, Sasuke won't let me give up the bed for him too, so he sits defiantly on the floor, refusing to move.

"You're being unreasonable," I state, "Get up..."

"Alright, fine," he replies, "But don't you dare try to give up the bed again, alright?"

"Alright," I smile warmly at him as he stands, towering over me as he usually does...

He looks down into my eyes.

"Why don't you smile more often?" he asks, "I'd give anything to see that smile more..."

My eyes open wide, and I just stare at him in shock.

"Really, Kai," he says, bringing his face away from mine, embarrassed, and turning away, "Smile and keep your head up... Just like Itachi says... You know, he sees you almost like the little sister that he never really wanted but got anyway... But he likes you. He used to always tell me to 'keep my head up' and 'smile more often'... It's just the way he is. Sometimes, though, I question his sanity..."

"I'm more worried about your cousin, Obito..."

"Oh, I don't question HIS sanity."

"Yet you question your brother's?"

"Yeah. I already KNOW that Obito is insane."

I giggle a little and Sasuke smiles down at me.

"Are you tired at all?" he asks later, at around 11.

"No," I reply, "You?"

"No, I'm used to staying up late, anyway. I've had insomnia for a while..."

"Oh, that sucks..."

"Ehh, I'm kinda used to it now..."

"There was one week when I didn't get even an ounce of sleep at all. It was hell."

"Oh... I've just had too much on my mind."

"Yeah... That's how it was for me too..."

"Hn."

Later that evening... or more... early the next morning, Sasuke and I are still up, sitting on the floor and leaning against the side of the bed, looking at each other and occasionally saying something like, "Are you tired yet?" or "Is it just me, or is it getting cold?"

"Hey Kai?" Sasuke asks, "I have a question..."

"Yes?"

"Why do you talk to me, but not many other people...? At school, you never talk... unless addressed by a teacher."

"Well, you're different from the others. I like that about you."

"There are plenty of other people at school that are different. Take that Uzumaki guy for instance... He's pretty much a freak."

"Yes, but he's different being he's loud and obnoxious, not because he seems to always be thinking about something important or symbolic."

"'Symbolic', huh?"

"Well, you always have a look on your face like you're trying to grasp a new concept that you just thought of. Like, some sort of metaphor that just makes everything seem so much more simple in the world."

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm always thinking of something as poetic as that," he chuckles, putting his hand on my head, "I'm just usually thinking of..."

His voice trails off, and he gets a faraway look in his eyes. I just stare at him blankly.

"'Thinking of'...?"

"Nothing," he says, snapping back to reality, "Just some stuff that's been... troubling me lately."

"Oh... okay."

"Actually... it's been on my mind for years now... Since way back when Itachi still lived with me and Fugaku and Mitoko..." ((Gahh!!! I'm an idiot and forgot what Sasuke's mom's name was!!! slaps self Sorry!!))

"You mean... your parents?"

"Yeah... Yeah, that."

"O-Okay."

"I just don't like thinking of the two of them as my parents, is all..."

"Oh... What age was Itachi when he moved out of the house?"

"13."

"Holy crap!! Why?"

"He just got really mad at my parents one day and said he was gonna go off and live in the woods and that he'd live off of minimum wage for the rest of his life. They, of course, didn't believe him."

"So, him moving out here was to prove your parents wrong...?"

"Yes."

"Sounds like something I'd wanna do. But of course, my parents would just be happy that I was gone, so it wouldn't matter anyway..."

"Why are you and your parents on such bad terms?" he asks, shifting his weight a little.

"Well... My dad is an alcoholic, and my mom only cares about her image. Neither of them really cares about the family. The only reason that they're still together is because my mom wants the money, and my dad wants someone to fuck."

"...Whoa. That must... really suck."

"It does. My mom told me that before, when they were young, they actually loved each other. But all of that changed when they got married. My dad started drinking, and... I was born."

"You said your dad was an alcoholic. How does an alcoholic make so much money that your mother wants to stay with him?"

"I don't know. I don't know what either of my parents does for a living... They never told me. I don't want to know. I want to have as little to do with my parents as possible. I hate them with a passion, and they hate me back."

"At least they're not trying to force themselves on you like they actually love you, though."

He slaps his hand over his mouth; even he can hear how harsh that sounds.

"I'm sorry," he says quickly.

"It's alright," I smile at him, "I know they never loved me. They've told me time and time again that I was nothing but a mistake."

"That's not true!!" he gasps, taking his fingers away from his mouth, "'A mistake'- that's just cruel!!"

"Whoever said that my parents weren't? If they met you, they'd hate you too. And your brother. And your cousin. And your parents..."

"Your parents are fulla bullshit."

"I know. That's why I hate them."

He lets out a loud breath and closes his eyes.

"Are you tired yet?" I ask.

"No. You?"

"No... But I'm bored."

"Me too... Maybe we could go downstairs and watch some TV."

"Obito's down there."

"Does it look like I care?"

"No," I giggle.

"Then let's go."

I smile and follow him downstairs, where he plops himself down onto his cousin's sleeping form and turns on the TV.

"Not the evil shloogarghs!!!!" Obito yells, suddenly waking up when Sasuke sits on him, "I MEAN. Umm... um... cough."

I giggle, and Sasuke just rolls his eyes, hiding a smile.

"Alright, kiddies," says a voice from the stairs, "What're we watching tonight?"

"Shut up, Itachi," Sasuke snaps, "Why are you up?"

"To watch a movie with my family."

"What about Kai?" Uchiha asks, confused.

"She's like a chisai-nee-chan to me," he grins, plopping himself down next to his brother on Obito's lap.

"Need I remind you that I'm still here?!" he yells, "I can't feel meh legs!!!!!!"

"Get over it, Obito," Itachi orders, "I feel comf- WHY IS MY ASS SUDDENLY WET?!!!"

"Heh heh... I just came."

"EWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!" Itachi screams, standing up.

"I'm just kidding!!" Obito laughs, "Seriously!!"

"Then what was that?!"

"I don't know. Probably just you pissing yourself like you used to when you were three."

"Oh, shut up, Obito. You would still piss yourself at five years old!! That's depressing!!"

All the while, Sasuke is over by the TV rifling through a box full of DVDs. I walk over to him, not knowing if I'd be able to stand another minute of Obito and Itachi yelling random crap at each other.

"What're we gonna watch?" I ask.

"The Ring; is that alright with you?"

"Sure, why not?"

As we watch the movie, I come to a conclusion about the Uchihas: None of them are all the way sane, but they're all great people...

"Want some popcorn?" Itachi asks his brother.

Uchiha glares at him for a second, then softens his expression and says, "Sure."

"Alright," Itachi smiles, "I'll go get some..." He gets up and walks away to get popcorn, and Sasuke shifts a bit so Obito can sit right.

_...Yes._ I smile to myself. _They're all really great people._


End file.
